Overview of the optiMize Challenge
August-October: Promotion and Recruitment 'Core Organizing Team Recruitment' Social Innovation Challenge Recruitment October-February: Project Development and Cohort Building The bulk of the Challenge is about helping students develop their self-directed projects. It isn’t like a class where you get tested on how well you complete tasks the teacher sets out. Every project is unique and you’re all at different stages in your work, so we aren’t here to tell you your priorities or chart a specific course for you. All we ask is that you take action, create tangible things, and respond to feedback as you go. optiMize events are here as a resource and support group to help you make your own decisions and develop your project as effectively as possible. Workshops See also: How to organize an optiMize Workshop or Sign up for the next Workshop The core of our Social Innovation Challenge is a series of five Workshops throughout the year. These events are the one time in the Challenge that the entire cohort of participants are together in one room — sometimes this can mean having 400+ people all in one space for four hours on a Sunday afternoon. In a broad sense, these Workshops are compelling action-based skill building sessions for participants in the Challenge who are all at various stages in developing their own social impact project. Participants leave each workshop with tangible next steps and new energy for their work! Topics include visioning, needs assessment, prototyping, storytelling and pitching, and more. Mentor Check-ins See also: How to organize optiMize Mentor Check-ins Mentor Check-ins bring together Challenge teams and local mentors in a supportive small group setting. 3 Social Innovation Challenge teams sign up for a one-hour slot with 2-3 mentors. Each team gets 15-20 minutes of focused attention to offer updates on progress. Instead of only pitching what's going great, we delve into the challenges we're facing. Mentors can ask questions to gain understanding, share their own experiences, make helpful connections to people in their networks, and share resources the teams might not know about yet. Everyone at the table commits to share openly and give honest, caring feedback to help each other find a positive way forward. The main rule for mentors is to never tell a student what they should do in a directive way. Innovate Nights See also: How to organize an optiMize Innovate Night Innovate Nights are casual events where students share skills, test prototypes, and learn from each other’s experiences. Weekly Open Houses See also: How to organize an optiMize Weekly Open House Free coffee & bagels at the optiMize office (218 Weiser Hall) every Thursday from 10 AM to 1 PM! Office Hours See also: How to organize optiMize Office Hours Chat 1-on-1 with optiMize leaders and mentors, schedulable on a weekly basis. February: Pitch Training and Funding Selection Practice Pitches See also: Organizing Practice Pitches Project teams pitch to our feedback panel to learn how to improve their pitch before the funding selections. Pitch Feedback Meetings See also: Organizing Pitch Feedback Meetings Funding Selection Pitches See also: Organizing Funding Selection Pitches March-April: Celebrations and Summer Preparations Full-Cohort Spring Celebration See also: Planning a Full-Cohort Spring Celebration Presentation Training See also: Organizing Presentation Training Showcase Rehearsal See also: Organizing Showcase Rehearsal Showcase See also: Organizing an optiMize Showcase May-August: Summer Fellowship If your project is selected for funding, you’ll join the newest cohort of optiMize Fellows. As a Fellow, you spend the summer working on your project alongside the rest of your cohort. optiMize funding will cover your living and housing expenses in addition to the grant you receive to invest in your project. Funding applications will be available in early January and funding decisions will be finalized in February before Spring Break. See FAQ on page 5 for more details. Weekly Meetings Prototype Nights Mentor Meetings Trips and Treks Summer Showcase Category:Program Structure